North Carolina has the 9th largest economy in the US. For that to continue, our government should work alongside small businessmen and women so that they can thrive and provide jobs to spur economic growth. I'm a small business owner, and I know what it's like to have to jump through hoops to get a business off the ground. I want to eliminate as many obstacles as possible so that entrepreneurs can flourish. 

As the chair of the Franklin County Economic Development Committee and the nonprofit group The Committee of 100, I made it a priority to work with local and state officials to bring more jobs and economic opportunities to our area. And as your state representative, I will continue to make economic growth and jobs a priority. 

Teacher Pay:

It's been said that without teachers, we wouldn't have any other professions. As the husband of a former public school teacher, I agree entirely, and to that end, our teachers should be well-compensated for the work they do. Teachers shouldn't be paying for classroom supplies out of their own pockets. Every educator in our state should be treated with dignity and respect, instead of pawns in a political game that no one can win. 

Education:

As a parent of two school-aged children who have attended both public and private schools, I am a vocal advocate of an education system for all—whether that be a traditional public school setting, homeschooling, dual enrollment, charter schools, magnet schools, or private schools. Parents and guardians, not special interest groups, should be empowered to make the decisions that will best educate their child. 

I will continue to support the nonprofit group The Education Foundation, which financially gives back to local public schools, because I believe schools are an integral part of our community and should be supported.

Community College:

We need to continue to fund and support our community college system, which is one of the greatest in the nation. To that end, we should increase and encourage the focus of highly-skilled trade jobs in high school to help students who are not interested in or don't need a four-year degree.

4-Year College:

As a first-generation college graduate, I know how important of a milestone this is to families. Unfortunately, the cost of a four-year degree has become a stumbling block for most Americans. To combat this, we need to lower the cost of higher education as well as educate students on how to manage student loans properly. We also need to ensure that high schools are fully prepared to help students find debt-free ways to pay for college. 

Access to affordable health care is a significant challenge and with COVID-19 many health care providers had to postpone routine procedures leaving these health care providers in difficult financial shape.  I will work with the community and the health providers to ensure there are enough providers in the area that are also affordable. In the legislature I will propose legislation to provide forgiveness loans to providers that practice in underserved areas. We must attract more health care providers who are affordable for local families.

With the speed of the world today and the demand for technology, the internet has become a necessary utility.  I will work to bring broadband access to our communities to help us better educate our children, attract jobs, and improve the quality of life for our residents in the district.  We need to work with providers to give equal access so that all communities can prosper.

Because we do have a robust economy, the population in our district is growing an average of sixty-four people per day. In the next decade, our population is expected to double. We need to ensure that our DOT road funds are not mismanaged, or worse, robbed to pay for special interest programs. Having smart policies in place to protect our major thoroughfares will not only help increase traffic flow but make our roads safer for motorists. To achieve those goals, we need to support the superhighway plans for US 1 North and the four lane of 401 to Louisburg, which will make our area attractive to businesses and create more jobs for North Carolinians. 

As the grandson of a farmer, I know how hard our farmers work and how much their families sacrifice to produce the food we eat each day. They should be protected from frivolous lawsuits that they can't afford to fight. Our farming families also need financial relief while our President fights for them to get the best prices for their crops. This can be done through temporary subsidies and by building on programs that have higher returns than traditional crops, like sage and organic grain sorghum. With older generations of farmers retiring, young adults who show an interest in agriculture should be encouraged and educated on how to be successful so that the backbone of our state doesn't disappear.

Seven hundred thousand people have died from opioid abuse in the past eighteen years. On average, 130 people die each day from opioid abuse. In NC alone, it's thirty people per week. We now have death rates six times higher than in 1999. Education on the danger of prescription opioids for our residents is the key to decreasing deaths. Most people assume that because the pills are prescribed by a doctor they trust, that they are safe, and this is far from the truth. I support strengthening the STOP ACT. It would reduce the number of pills and how often a doctor can prescribe them to their patients.

As the son-in-law of a Vietnam Veteran and the brother, and brother-in-law to several veterans from our current war, I believe our service members deserve better. They give up so much to protect our country and one way that we could give back to them is to reduce their state income tax burden.

All people, no matter their stage of human development, gender, race, socioeconomic status, location, mental development, disability, or education level, have the right to life. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and be allowed to become the best version of themselves. 

As the child of a teenage mother, who was pressured to have an abortion, I'm thankful she made the choice of life. Because of her decision and the difficulties she went through as a single mother of four children, I support pro-life organizations and programs that help vulnerable women medically, financially, spiritually as well as provided counseling.

The Second Amendment already protects our rights to own guns to hunt, defend our lives and private property. Unfortunately, that right is under attack from people who don't think that the twenty- thousand plus gun laws already in place are enough. Law-abiding citizens shouldn't be punished due to the abhorrent choices of criminals. Instead, we should punish those criminals to the fullest extent of the law.